From Mandello del Lario one can easily reach many important localities:

Varenna

This important touristic centre rises on a cape next to the Esino river’s mouth, under the rough San Defendente mount, m. 1315, from which quarries in past times an amazing black and white-black marble was quarried, giving a job to the main part of the population.

The ancient town has an enviable panorama; as a matter of fact in front of the town start the three branches of the Lake, and the sight goes from the green headland of Bellagio to the farer towns of Menaggio and Cadenabbia.

It’s a picturesque village, characterized by an almost uninterrupted succession of low and uniform houses, sometimes with fresco or coats of arms, one next to each other and linked through typical arches, by long and narrow alleys that fan out and descend straight and steep to the lake.
 

Bellagio

It’s the most famous locality of the Lario, also known as the Lario’s pearl. An architectural and environmental jewel, surrounded by walls, characterised by the typical soft colours of the houses, that are close to each other, by the winding and narrow alleys that flow into well matched tiny squares.

Fortified by a castle and walls, it became fief of the Civate’s abbot, then hostile town against Como during the ten-year war.

On the streets along the lake there are luxurious hotels and elegant shops where people can find jewels, clothes and very fine silks. Along the road that crosses the town, it’s possible to admire the ancient village beauties, sloping down then until the lake with the nice square and the landing stage for boats and ferries to transport cars on the two opposite lake shores. Many are the trips that people can make from Bellagio on foot, by car or with a boat.

Lecco

The city is at the extreme south part of the Lario’s oriental branch, in a flat strip in the valley made from rocky mounts. The Middle-Age origin explains the particular urban shape of Lecco, composed of a whole string of not far from each other and “specialized” districts: districts intended for production, disposed along the Gerenzone River’s valley, agricultural districts, the fishermen’s district (Pescarenico), the military district (Castello) and the village, place for market and exchanges on Lake’s shore.

Lecco and its surroundings propose their selves also today as “Manzonian Places”, and it’s possible to visit the places where the most famous book from Alessandro Manzoni (“I promessi Sposi”) is set. From Lucia’s House to Don Abbondio’s Church dedicated to the Saints Vitale and Valeria in the Olate district, Don Rodrigo’s house on Zucco’s Hill, the Unnamed Castle over Chiuso district and Frà Cristoforo’s monastery in Pescarenico.

 

Como

It’s situated at the end of the Lario’s western branch, in a tiny valley that’s been created by drifts in the tertiary. It’s characterised by houses and palaces typical from the 18th century and neoclassical, structurally simple, with sober decorations at portals, windows and balconies, often made more attractive by nice stroked irons.

Considered by everyone a tiny province city, it’s worldwide known for its beauty; it’s mild climate and the incredible position attract many tourists from every Country and it often is the site of important conferences and political meetings.

The city of Como can propose many excursions for any kind of tourist. It’s possible to make walks that take a whole day or, for less sportive people, one-hour walks in the natural park “Spina Verde”.
 

Monza

Monza is a charming city, famous for its park and the automobile race track. The Park of Monza is the largest enclosed park in Europe: with a surface of 688 hectares is more than twice larger than New York’s Central Park. Inside this park flows the Lambro River creating tiny lakes and waterfalls. The national automobile race track of Monza is a circuit situated inside the Park of Monza. It holds many motor events during the whole year, but it’s internationally famous for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.

Very famous is the Royal Mansion as well, one of the most important city monuments. The mansion was built as a symbol for the prestige and the magnificence of the Austrian royal court, wanted by the empress Maria Teresa for her fourth male son, the duke Ferdinand of Austria, who lived in Milan at that time and wished a mansion outside the city to spend the summer and go hunting.

Milano

Milan is an important commercial and industrial centre at international level, as well as the biggest Italian city for services and tertiary, finance, fashion, publishing and industry. Besides, it is the site of the Stock Exchange, one of the most important European financial centres and it’s a big attraction centre for the head offices of dozens of multinationals. It has one of the biggest university, publishing and television centres in Europe. It also has the fair with the largest exhibitive surface in Europe. There are many monuments to visit, among them all, the gothic Dome. Milan is also one of the most important destinations in the world for shopping.

St.Moritz

St. Moritz (Sankt Moritz in German) is a popular holiday resort of the Engadine Valley, in the Graubunden canton, in Switzerland.

It offers many ski-lifts and ski slopes and many paths for excursions on the mountains.

Close to it, there is the Cresta Run, a worldwide famous bobsleigh and sledge run.

Valtellina

The mountains of Valtellina offer many chances both for excursionists and for alpinists, traditional and free-climbers. In the valley there are many renowned ski resorts like Bormio, Chiesa in Valmalenco, Madesimo, Aprica and Caspoggio. Besides, a very important holiday and ski resort is Livigno that is geographically outside Valtellina, being at the other side of the Alps, but is part of the Sondrio province.

In this valley there are also many warm thermal springs, one at the Masino’s Baths and one with seven springs at Bormio’s Baths. In these localities there are four thermal resorts one in the first and three in the second one.

Campione d'Italia

Campione d’Italia has the particularity of being an enclave separated from the mother country by a lake: it’s possible to reach Italy from Campione crossing the Lake of Lugano without entering the Swiss territory.

Campione is famous to hold one of the four Casinos in Italy, it’s regulated by a legislation that dates back to the years before the second Worldwide War, more favourable compared with the Italian and the Swiss one. After the move happened in the year 2007 in the modern building designed by the Swiss architect Mario Botta, the Casino of Campione d’Italia is today the hugest one the whole Europe.